The premium brand DS, belonging to the Stellantis group, has presented the E-Tense Performance Prototype concept car, an electric sports car that hides in its entrails the mechanics of a Formula E, a category in which the French firm has been participating since 2015. With this model, DS wants to show the links between electric competition technology and street vehicles.
The DS E-Tense Performance in a coupé with a carbon fiber monocoque. It uses two electric motors in a “dual” configuration (one on each axle), which gives it total traction, a maximum combined power of 815 CV (600 kW), and a wild torque of 8,000 Nm, data that put it in the category of the supercars.
Pilots Jean-Eric Vergne and Antonio Felix da Costa will be in charge of testing the prototype once it is functional. Because yes, it will not be a simple model, but a true sports car that will debut advances such as very compact batteries whose casing will be made from aluminum and carbon fiber.
The pack, located in a central position (which will allow you to enjoy optimal weight distribution), will be made up of cells equipped with new chemistry developed with Saft (TotalEnergies) and a thermal management system by immersion. The most interesting of all is that, according to the company, this technology will reach its next production of electric cars.
The DS E-Tense Performance does not need mechanical brakes
Another interesting point is its powerful regenerative braking, which has a maximum capacity of 600 kW. This enormous retention makes mechanical brakes unnecessary, although the car also has a conventional system for safety reasons.
DS has confirmed that this prototype anticipates the aesthetic language of its next models (remember that the company will only launch electric cars on the market from 2024, ahead of other brands of the Stellantis group such as Citroën or Peugeot), although it seems unlikely that the concept itself reaches production.
The front design, already seen on the DS Aero Sport Lounge, will be carried over to future DS models, with the grille being replaced by a smooth surface and the tick-shaped headlamps (in this case, made up of a total of 800 individual LEDs). ). In addition, other details such as the aerodynamic 21-inch wheels could also be transferred (with other dimensions) to the company’s next production models.
